Mold



May 20, 1958 N. J. GUIMONT MOLD Filed May 21, 1956 Q INVENTOR.

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I Z m dfi United States Patent MOLD Nelson J. Guimont, Chicago, Ill. Application May 21, 1956, Serial No. 586,161

4 Claims. (Cl. 25-121) The present invention relates to a novel mold structure, and, more particularly, to a novel mold structure for forming cast concrete tapered piers or the like.

In order economically to precast concrete articles such as piers or the like which are then-tobe conveyed to a building site, it is desirable to provide'amulticavity mold. Various mold structures have heretofore been proposed,

but difficulties have been encountered in providinga mold structure which may be quickly and easily assembled so as to reduce labor costs and which, at the same time, is formed so that the finished concrete articles or piers may be easily removed therefrom. It is, therefore, an important object of the present invention to provide a novel multipart multiple cavity mold structure for concrete articles such as piers and the like, which mold structure may be easily and rapidly assembled and disassembled, and from which mold structure the finished concrete articles may be easily removed.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a novel mold structure of the above described type wherein cooperable elements at least partially defining each mold cavity are interconnected so that they may be handled as a unit and so that they normally assume proper cavity defining position and also so that they may be readily shifted relative to eachother to permit a finished article to be removed therefrom.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a multiple cavity mold structure incorporating the features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing an article such as a concrete pier which may be cast in the mold structure of this invention;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing an internal portion of the mold structure;

Fig. 4 is a further enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing a portion of the mold structure in greater detail and showing a portion of a concrete pier or the like in a mold cavity; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. 4 but showing how opposite sides of a mold cavity may be shifted relative to each other in order to free the concrete article for removal from the mold structure.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings'wherein like parts are designated by the same numerals throughout the various figures, a multiple cavity mold structure incorporating the features of the present invention is shown in Fig. 1. This structure comprises a pair of opposite end walls 12 and 14, a plurality of spaced removable separator panels 16 disposed in parallel relationship between the end Walls, and a plurality of removable units 18 described fully hereinbelow disposed between the separator panels and cooperating with the panels andend walls to define a plurality of mold cavities 20. The above mentioned elements, when in assembled relationship, are releasably clamped together by suitable means ice including bar structures 22 and 24 respectively traversing upper end portions ofthe end walls 12 and 14- and connected together by tie rods 26- and 28 extending along opposite sides ofthe mold structure and cooperable nut members 30 and 32 threaded onto the rods 26 and 28, respectively. Similar bars 34 and 36 traverse lower'p'ortions of the opposite end walls and are connected by elongated threaded tie rods 38' and 4t) and cooperable nut members 42 and 44L The mold structure is preferably spaced above the'floor or ground by a plurality of spaced members 46 and 48 which may be formed from wood two-by-fours or the like and which extend longitudinally between the'opposite end walls. The end walls and the intermediate panels 16 may rest directly onthe members 46 and'48, but preferably the lower ends of the units 18 rest on removable separator members 50 formed from tWo'-by-fours' or the like and supported by the members 46 and 48.

As shown best in Figs. 3, 4 and 5; each of the units 18 comprises apair of generally upstanding members 52 and 54 which may conveniently be formed from two-byfours or the like. Of course, if thicker concrete articles are desired the members 52 and 54 may be formed from wider stock material. Also, these members could be formed from narrower stock material if desired. In the embodiment shown the members 52 and 54 are disposed in diverging relationship so that the mold cavity is definedt'o form a tapered pier 56 shown in an upright position in Fig. 2.

In accordance with a feature of the present invention lower endportions of each pair of members 52 and 54 are interconnected by a generally u shaped metal strap 58. A bottom section 60 of each of the metal straps is preferably sufiiciently long so that the lower end portions of the associate members 52 and 54 are disposed in spaced apart relationship, and these lower end portions are connected to upstanding leg sections 62 and 64 of each of the metal straps 58 by a plurality of screws 66 and 68 or any other suitable means. These strap membersv58 connect each pair of upstanding members 52 and 54 together so that they may be easily handled and positioned in the mold structure as a unit. While the strap members 58 are sufficiently strong and rigid to perform this. function, it will be appreciated that they are also inherently suificiently resilient to permit the associated members 52 and 54 to be pulled away from each otherand away from a finished concrete article as shown in Fig. 5 so that the article may be easily removed.

In order to prevent the upstanding members 52 and 54 of each unit 18 from being pulled too far apart and also normally to retain these members in the desired diverging relationship for properly defining a mold cavity, the means shown best in Figs. 4 and 5 is provided' This means includes a bolt 70 extending through oversized apertures in lower end portions of associated members 52 and 54 and upper end portions of the upstanding sections 62 and 64 of an associated metal hinge strap 58. A nut 72 is threaded onto the bolt, and a compression spring 74 is disposed on the bolt between the nut and the metal strap or hinge section 64. The head of the bolt and the nut, of course, limit movement of the members 52 and 54 away from each other and the bolt and nut cooperate with the spring to bias the members 52 and 54 toward each other. A removable wedge-shaped member 76 is disposed between each pair of members 52 and 54 for defining the bottom of the mold cavity and also for limiting movement of each pair of the members 52 and 54 inwardly toward each other. are'respe'ctively secured to each of the members 52 and 54 for supporting each of the bottom members 76. Thus, when the members 52 and 54 are spread apart as shown in Fig. 5, the blocks 78 and 80 prevent the bottom Supporting blocks 78 and- 3 member 76 and the concrete article thereon from sliding down into the widened mold cavity.

A brief rsum of the manner in which the mold structure described above may be used will now be given; Assuming the mold structure to be completely disassembled, one of the end walls, for example the end wall 12, is raised to an upstanding position and placedon the base members 46 and 48. Then one of the transverse bottom separator members 50 is positioned across the base members 46 and 48 and against the bottom edge of the wall 12 and several of the units 18 are placed on this bottom separator member 50. It is to be noted that upper end portions of the members 54 are bevelled as indicated at 82 in Fig. 3 for providing surfaces adapted to mate with the upper end portion of an adjacent member 52 of an adjacent unit 18 so as to facilitate proper positioning of the adjacent units with respect to each other. Then the mold cavity bottom members 76 are placed on the support or abutment members 78 and 80 of the assembled units 18 and a separator panel 16 is placed on the base members 46 and 48 and against the installed units 18. Successive units 18 and separator panels and members 16 and 50 and the opposite end wall 14 are installed in the same manner, and the fully assembled structure is clamped together by the cross bars and tie rods described above. Then opposite side rails 84 and 86 are positioned along the upper side edges of the mold structure for preventing the concrete from spilling over these edges. These side rails are respectively provided with legs 88-90 and 92-94 adapted to extend within the tie rods 26 and 28 for retaining the side rails in position. Then, of course, the concrete is poured into the mold cavities and allowed to set. When the concrete articles are finished, the clamping bars are removed from the mold structure and one of the end walls is removed to expose the first series of the units 18 and concrete articles therebetween. Then the members 52 and 54 of an endmost unit 16 in the exposed series of units are relatively pulled apart so as to permit the article therebetween to be removed, and this action is repeated with all of the units 18 of the exposed series. Alternatively, the units 18 may be removed from the mold structure and then manipulated to free the articles. After the first series of articles has been removed, the adjacent separator panel 16 is removed to expose the next series of articles and the above described action is repeated.

While the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described herein, it is obvious that many structural details maybe made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. In a mold structure of the type described comprising a plurality of separable generally parallel spaced apart and upstanding separator panels, a plurality of separate units removably disposed between and cooperable with the separate panels for defining a plurality of mold cavities, each of said units including a pair of upstanding spaced apart and generally upright and opposed cavity defining members disposed between and substantially abutting opposed faces of a pair of said panels, means connecting lower end portions of said members for permitting said members to be moved relatively away from each other and from a finished article therebetween, a cavity bottom member freely disposed between lower end portions of said upright members and limiting movement of the upright members toward each other, and means connected with said members beneath said bottom member and vertically spaced from said connecting means and yieldably restraining said members against relative movement away from each other.

2. In a mold structure of the type described comprising a plurality of separable generally parallel spaced apart and upstanding separator panels, a plurality of separate units removably disposed between and cooperable with said separator panels for defining a plurality of mold cavities, each of said units including a pair of upstanding spaced apart and generally opposed cavity defining members, a generally U-shaped strap hingedly connecting lower end portions of said members for permitting said members to be moved relatively away from each other and from a finished article therebetween, a bottom member separate from and extending between lower end portions of said upstanding members above a bottom of said strap, a bolt-like element extending through apertures in lower end portions of said members spaced vertically from a bottom end of said U-shaped strap and located beneath said bottom member, and spring means carried by said bolt-like elements for resiliently restraining said members against relative movement away from each other.

3. In a mold structure of the type described comprising a plurality of separable generally parallel spaced apart and upstanding separator panels, a plurality of separate units removably disposed between and cooperable with said separator panels for defining a plurality of mold cavities, each of said units including a pair of upstanding spaced apart and generally opposing cavity defining members, means hingedly connecting lower end portions of said members for permitting said members to be moved relatively away from each other and from a finished article therebetween, a pair of support means respectively disposed on and projecting inwardly of lower end portions of said members, a mold cavity bottom element freely disposed on said support means, and means connected with said members and yieldably biasing said members against opposite edges of said bottom element and yieldably restraining said members against relative movement away from each other.

4. In a mold structure of the type described comprising a plurality of separable generally parallel spaced apart and upstanding separator panels, a plurality of separate units removably disposed between and cooperable with said separator panels for defining a plurality of mold cavities, each of said units including a pair of upstanding spaced apart and generally opposing cavity defining members, a generally U-shaped strap hingedly connecting lower end portions of said members for permitting said members to be moved relatively away from each other and from a finished article therebetween, a pair of support means respectively disposed on and projecting inwardly of lower end portions of said members, a mold cavity bottom element freely disposed on said support means, a bolt-like element extending through generally aligned apertures in lower end portions of said members and vertically spaced from a bottom end of said U-shaped strap, and spring means carried by said boltlike element for resiliently biasing said members against opposite edges of said bottom element and for resiliently restraining said members against relative movement away from each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 599,786 Katz Mar. 1, 1898 787,743 Ely et al Apr. 18, 1.905 798,798 Johnson II Sept. 5, 1905 844,306 Falk Feb. 12, 1907 887,814 Johnson I May 19, 1908 1,314,018 Pipe Aug. 26, 1919 1,584,784 Lovelace May 18, 1926 1,767,163 Ackermann June 24, 1930 1,925,733 Pandolfi Sept. 5, 1933 2,662,262 Wollard et :al. Dec. 15, 1953 2,763,909 Guimont Sept. 25, 1956 

